Causes of Different Country Rates of Development

Causes of Different Country Rates of Development Kaitlyn Kanaly Guns, Germs, and Steel Summary In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond is trying to answer his friend, Yali’s, question. Yali asked Diamond in New Guinea, â€Å"Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo, but we black people had little cargo of our own?† (Diamond, 1998, p. 14). Yali was referring to all of the different advantages certain societies had that resulted in prosperous populations, while others failed. Diamond centers Guns, Germs, and Steel around answering Yali’s question. Throughout the semester, we were set out to define the â€Å"big idea† of each chapter individually. The first half of this book’s â€Å"big idea† is to show how food production, domesticating plants and animals, and most importantly, how geography itself are the main factors that determined which societies became more powerful than another. Diamond supports his thesis through evidence that he reveals in each chapter. Diamond’s search for an answer to Yali’s question started off by looking at the biology of when and how the first humans evolved. Then, he concentrated on more specific societies to further support his research. During his research, Diamond still could not explain why Eurasia became the most advanced continent even though Africa had a head start. What Diamond came to find out, however, is that a society is not successful because of the color of one’s skin or how intelligent one may or may not be, but it is the geography that allows a society to either flourish or diminish. To further defend his geographic explanation, Diamond suggests that the events that took place on the Chatham Islands was, in fact, due to a geographic stand point of the Maori and Moriori people. The technologically advanced Maori society successfully conquered the considerably weaker Moriori society. Further justifying this explanation, he points out that race could not have been a factor between these two groups because the two cultures had come from the same origin and were just separated within an unmindful time frame. Diamond also looked at factors, other than genetics, that determined the differences between the two societies. He then concluded that the Moriori were unable to provide an abundance of food due to the cold climate. The lack of food put the Moriori at a disadvantage because their society was significantly weaker than the Maori’s. Aside from the production of food, the Maori people were advanced in other areas that were not possible for the Moriori because o f their geographic location. Because the Moriori were isolated on an island, they did not have the means for communication with other people, and technological ideas were unable to spread to their society. Thus, only the Maori people were rich in food production, technology, and communication because of their geographic location. Geography also has had a major effect in which parts of the world developed food production over others. Areas such as deserts or high mountains are simply not suited for agriculture, while others may support some crops, but not others. Another factor is that there are only a limited number of plants suitable for domestication. According to Diamond, being able to successfully produce food was the start for societies to also develop of guns, germs, and steel. There are a few components that influenced the adoption of food production: the decline in wild foods, an increase in plants, the development of technology, and change in population density. With less wild food available, people did not have much of a choice but to grow their own. Technology also allowed food to be produced at a quicker pace. Acquiring an abundance of food meant that societies could reach a higher population density that would, in turn, lead to many more advantages. People were able to settle in one place because of farming, which allowed more complex and advanced food production. These more densely populated societies were able to create technology, invent writing, and became immune to epidemic diseases. All three of these remarkable factors is what Diamond found to be the reasons why one society was able to conquer another. Still, there were additional factors that Diamond set out to examine. Animals also played a key role in certain parts of the world developing quicker than others: the distribution of animals around the world was also a result of geography. Eurasia was home to the most domesticated mammals, which put the people there at an advantage. These domesticated animals not only helped as an additional food source, but also provided many other services for societies. Farming was completed much easier and at a quicker pace because animals were able to pull plows and also serve as fertilizer. Animal fur was used to keep warm, and the bones were converted into various handy tools. Diamond also analyzed the way plants, food, and ideas were able to spread from continent to continent. Food production spreads most easily if one is moving east to west, because plants and animals didn’t have to adapt to a drastic change like you would going north and south, as the climate will be either the same or similar going east or west as opposed to north and south. For example, because Eurasia is spread further east and west, it was almost effortless to haul crops and animals from one location to another, which made Eurasia more successful and subsequently advanced than other parts of the world. In conclusion, there are many reasons why certain societies prospered compared to others; and it all boils down to the geography of the land. Diamond proves that beneficial aspects of geography allows societies to effortlessly grow food than others. On the other hand, there are also geographical explanations as to why food production failed in some parts of the world. Diamond confidently insists that it does not matter who is smarter than who, but rather, that the most prosperous society was blessed by the more dominant environment. In essence, those who lived in more fertile areas had a much greater chance of success. Reflection I strongly believe that Diamond does an amazing job at dissecting how and why certain continents prevailed over others. He manages to go into detail, but not too much detail that would confuse his readers. I like the fact that he keeps his findings slightly broad because it makes the story line easier to follow. The way he presents how geography plays such a major role in history is extremely powerful and intriguing. There are many critics, however, who do not agree with Diamond’s message that geography is the ultimate factor for advanced continents, rather than racial or intelligence reasons. For example, York and Mancus are more concerned with the social aspects that contributed to the rise of certain continents over others. As quoted from the Human Ecology Review: His position would be strengthened if he more fully recognized that different types of societies have different internal dynamics, and that each era has its own particular processes and contradictions (York Mancus, 2007, p. 160). I think that this is too critical of an opinion for Diamond’s work. I do not think that Diamond intended his book to be overly specific, but rather a more broad, overall explanation of how and why the world evolved the way it did. Another critic focuses on the chapter in Diamond’s book where latitude is discussed. James Blaut, a geography professor, suggests that Diamond supplies â€Å"hardly an explanation† of the development and westward spread of technology and food. According to The Geographical Review: His description fails to mention that diffusion eastward and southward from the Near East via the Indian Ocean, and southward from China through the South China Sea, was as important and as easy, as was diffusion west-ward (Blaut, 1999, p. 400). I agree with this critic that Diamond should have explored all options for the spread of technology and food before he had stated that east-west movement was the easiest way to do it successfully. However, I do not recall Diamond saying that east-west diffusion was the one and only way. Although there are critics that do not fully agree with everything that Diamond has found in his research in Guns, Germs, and Steel, I think that this book is exceptionally educational. The book has an outstanding story line that is easy to follow and is packed with intriguing information that truly gets you thinking. I can’t wait to finish the rest of the book to see what else Diamond has to say about the establishment of our world. Sources Blaut, J. M. (1999). ENVIRONMENTALISM AND EUROCENTRISM.Geographical Review,89(3), 391. Diamond, J. (1998).Guns, Germs, and Steel. New York: W.W. Norton Company. York, R., Mancus, P. (2007). Human Ecology Review. Diamond in the Rough: Reflections on Guns, Germs, Steel, 14(2). http:/www.humanecologyreview.org/pastissues/her142/yorkandmancus.pdf

Document 2 analysis Strayer Essay

1.)The Mesopotamian ideal of kingship is looked down upon. The kings treated the commoners & peasants so poorly during this time. 2.)That the afterlife isn’t so great. Gilgamesh goes out to find morality but it turns out it is tragic. â€Å"There is the house whose people sit in darkness; dust is their food and clay their meat.† That doesn’t sound like much fun. That states that even in the afterlife you can be miserable. 3.)The philosophy of life that comes from the Gilgamesh Story is that, you should appreciate what you have in the life you live, and not try to find it somewhere else. (Or in a power beyond you.) 4.)The epic portrays the gods as awful people, they don’t have a great relationship with people, and they treat them poorly. Document 2.2 1.)Shown from the Code of Hammurabi, one can conclude that they were very adamant about getting what was right. Society was all for it, shown in â€Å"If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.† The economy wasn’t great. If something went wrong, the king would take his life or his home. They wanted the city to be kept in good conditions, â€Å"If any one be too lazy to keep his dam in proper condition, and does not so keep it; if then the dam break and all the fields be flooded†¦ he would be sentenced to punishment,† because of the crop damage. 2.)The kind of economy prevailed in the region was either you were rich or you were poor. 3.)The different social groups mentioned in this code were mainly peasants. Slaves, and poorer men and women. There are specific sections â€Å"On Class and Slavery† and â€Å"On Men and Women†. 4.)Women couldn’t, â€Å"open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this woman be burned to death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"If the ‘finger is pointed’ at another man’s wife about another man, but she is not caught sleeping with the other man, she shall jump into the river for her husband†¦Ã¢â‚¬  women couldn’t drink or cheat on their husbands. But women could declare a man to not be her husband if they did not have intercourse, and â€Å"If a man take a wife, and she be seized by disease, if he then desire to take a second wife, he shall not put away his wife who has been attacked by disease, but he shall keep her in the house.† 5.)The kind of social problems that afflicted ancient Mesopotamia were simple in a way. An eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth was one if wrong was done to you by someone, wrong would be done back. If something was stolen you were punished to death, and if you cheated on your spouse you were also sentenced to death. 6.)The principles of justice that underlay Hammurabi’s code are simple. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth. So if something is done wrong to you, its done wrong back to the person that did you wrong. 7.)People living at the time of Hammurabi would assess this system of justice as normal. Considering they didn’t know anything else, they would have gone with whatever was given to them. 8.)People in the 21st Century would assess this system as harsh. Because, when one would steal an animal they would be sentenced to death. Or, when you cheated on your spouse you would also be sentenced to death. Today, cheating doesn’t matter in the sense of law and stealing is usually dealt with less harshly. Document 2.3 1.)The afterlife of the pharaoh is represented by warm greetings. Resembling that Teti never really dies. He meets his father, and he rejoices at the sight. â€Å"Kisses you, caresses you, the hidden ones worship you, the great ones surround you,† The afterlife is good for a pharaoh; it’s almost as if he never died. 2.)In the Pharaoh’s afterlife, it is great, almost as if he’s not dead. But in Gilgamesh’s afterlife, its horrible. â€Å"There is the house whose people sit in darkness; dust is their food and clay their meat.† That doesn’t sound like much fun. Document 2.4 1.)Once the Negative Confession came out, only ones with money could buy this way into the afterlife. Stated in the intro paragraph, â€Å"The spells could be purchased by anyone who could afford them. The owner then inscribed his own name and title and had the document placed in his tomb.† This changed from traditional Egyptian religious thinking, because now you could just buy it. 2.)When one buys the Negative Confession, they are then making the claim for eternal life. 3.)The Negative Confession provides more violence and wrong doing, now that you can purchase the right thing. This causes conflict and discord in New Kingdom Egypt because now you can buy something saying â€Å"I have caused no man to suffer.† Or â€Å"I have made no man weep. I have slain no man.† This compares to the social problems revealed in the code of Hammurabi, because in Mesopotamia if you couldn’t pay you got thrown in the river. Same in Egypt, if you can’t buy your way into the afterlife, you practically can’t go. Document 2.5 1.)In Egypt there were several different occupations, a washerman, pot maker, watchman, cobbler, merchants, ship crew, outworker, soldiers, and scribes. Everything, but the scribes were viewed poorly. For instance â€Å"The cobbler mingles with vats. His odor is penetrating. His hands are red†¦, like the one who is smeared with blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then when the scribe is mentioned, â€Å"Be a scribe and be spared from soldiering!† You were only safe if you were a scribe. 2.)Learning how to write offers you many things. â€Å"I instruct you to†¦make you become one whom the king trusts; to make you gain entrance to treasury and granary. To make sure you receive the shipload at the gate of granary. To make you issue the offerings n feast days. You are dressed in fine clothes; you own horses.† You become a higher power than others. 3.)A timeless frustration of a teacher evident here is that kids don’t listen and they don’t want to write. â€Å"Young fellow, how conceited you are!†¦ But though I beat you with every kind of stick, you do not listen†¦ you are a person fit for writing, through you have not yet known a woman. Your heart discerns your fingers are skilled; your mouth is apt for reciting†¦ But though I spend the day telling you ‘Write’ it seems like a plague to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

The Airline Industry Pre and Post 9/11

Analyze the attractiveness of the airline industry pre 9/1 1 . How attractive was the industry before 9/11? Was it profitable? Was there growth? Was there strong competition or not? If so, in what sectors? PESTEL Analysis of the Airline Industry Pre 9/1 1 Political Government support for national carriers Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Security Controls Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Investment support Restrictions on migration Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) Deregulations (try to cut down airfare prices) Economic National growth rates Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51)Fuel prices Oohnson, Gerry. 2011, pg51) High costs associated with the Full Service Carrier business model of markets Increasing world trade and investment Social Rise in travel by elderly Student international study exchanges Changing life styles Increase in the number of educated people Globalization Technological Fuel-efficient engines and airframes Security check technologies Teleconferencing for business Consolidation Alternative fuels Environmental Air pollution controls Noise pollution controls Energy consumption controls Land for growing airports Legal Employee work hoursLiberalization Restrictions on mergers Preferential airport rights for some carriers Porter's five forces analysis for pre 9/1 1 Threat of Entry High regulations Capital intensive Requires high level of experience and knowledge It has a high barrier entry Monopoly in some cities' airports The Threat of Substitutes Busses, ships, rail industry In Europe, Russia rail is the preferred transportation mode In US rail and road are the mode of transportation for goods Prices are regularly low comparing to airfares in Europe for within Europe and Russia Ships are being used or transportation of goods in bulk to continents But for individual transportation for long distances mostly airlines are preferred. The Power of Buyers Almost 50% increase within a decade, due to increase in the number of retirees. Also rise in the world GDP. Increasing numbe r of airline companies gives more choice to select from to the buyers. Customer loyalty highly depended on airfares. Price sensitive. So bargaining power of the buyer is high. Technological innovations give advantages to business travelers (skype, conference calls†¦ etc) The Power of Suppliers Pilot's unions, â€Å"there is no good alternative to a well-trained pilot in the cockpit†.The supply is mainly being done by Boeing and Airbus, Aramco, Gazprom All of the suppliers have high power. (Fuel, maintenance, labor). Competitive Rivalry Low margin cost (1-2% net profit) Increase in the number of airlines High costs High exit barrier As per the case study â€Å"analysts were predicting that the US airline industry world lose some $. 5bn because of the slowing economy combined with a large decline in business travel. † So the decrease and losses were already happening, due to echnological, mismanagement and economic reasons. 9/1 1 may have given good reasons for mist akes. 2 Analyze the attractiveness post The decrease hit the bottom with the terrorist attacks. People preferred other ways to travel.PESTEL Analysis of the Airline Industry Post 9/1 1 Government support for national carriers (bailout money $4bn) Tax break for the next five years (national carriers) Security Controls increased (3 hours early check in) Lay offs Cost increase due to security increase Supplier's suppliers were affected Probable increase in the demand for metal detectors and security items Increase in he insurance cost Increase in the airfare but after 2007 airlines are raising against each other, prices are going down Fear against flights No trust to security Choice towards road, rail, or teleconferencing. Need for advanced security check, secure stronger technologies including navigational equipment. Teleconferencing for business Stronger rules over employees Tighter regulations Increase in the consumer rights and protection* 3. How might airlines better plan for disr uptive events such as 9/11?They could nave done scenario planning and train the employees according to the worst case scenario. Shell was the only company during the crisis which survived because they had the scenario before and when they started to feel the crisis they reacted before it reached at the door. Airline industry can do the same thing, and train their employees. Government can do trainings at the school or public places for worst case scenarios. Airplane suppliers can produce safer doors for the cockpit. And security companies should not Just hire normal people they should have people from the army or police departments at the airports who are well trained.http://dollarsandsense.org/archives/2002/0502ward.htmlhttp://www.citethisforme.com/topic-ideas/business-marketing/Qantas%20management-9357129

Primary Differences between Colonial America and England...

There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create†¦show more content†¦Dictating that Massachusetts produce a certain annual allowance of cotton for the crown would be ridiculous. Due to distance, the Crown was unable to directly regulate economic policy and trade within the colonies so the c olonists were forced to devise a regulatory system. This system allowed â€Å"a young business man [to] borrow money and move into trade, challenging the commercial position of older, more experienced merchants† (Text, 51). Economic factors, however, were not the only discrepancy between the colonies and England. As time passed, cultural differences became increasingly evident. Pragmatism and diversity were the overlying themes of colonial culture. Indians already lived in America and immigrants from England, France, Spain, Germany, Africa, and Holland soon arrived (Text, 41). These people were all from vastly different cultures, but mutual survival forced them to coexist peacefully. Living side by side created a mix of customs, traditions, and ideas that had never been seen in England. 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